Effects of Public and Private Schools on Academic Achievement

The Korean high school system is regulated and monitored by the government to ensure that (i) middle school graduates are randomly assigned to private and public high schools and (ii) the tuitions are the same for both institutions. Hence, any difference between the academic performances of the graduates from private and public high schools is a result from the difference in the schools' efforts towards the students' academic achievement. Results show that the students in private schools have better academic performance than those in public schools. Moreover, significant difference exists among boys-only, coed, and girls-only schools. The students' income level influences their academic performance.